As automation and IoT become part of our daily lives, advanced security in low-power devices has become increasingly important to ensure building safety, prevent intruders from entering homes, and protect users from any data modification or leakage.
The RA4L1 MCU is designed to bring higher security to low-power devices. The RA4L1 utilizes Renesas Electronics’ advanced low-power process technology, supporting a low operating voltage of 1.6V while providing a low standby current of just 1.65μA with 16KB of SRAM. The 80MHz Arm® Cortex-M33® core, which includes a floating-point unit (FPU) and TrustZone®, features capabilities such as support for segmented LCDs and advanced security engines to support various low-power systems that require protection for their applications and communications.
The RA4L1 offers 512KB of on-chip dual-bank flash memory with block swap functionality for easy in-field application updates, as well as 8KB of data flash, allowing for data storage instead of external EEPROM. Most importantly, the RA4L1 has 64KB of on-chip SRAM that supports parity and ECC, suitable for applications focused on data integrity and security.
This product family provides seven different package options, including LQFP, QFP, BGA, and CSP, with sizes as small as 3.64mm x 4.28mm. These packaging options make the RA4L1 attractive for many space-constrained applications.
RA4L1 Block Diagram
The RA4L1 supports a rich set of peripheral functions optimized for low-power applications, featuring a wide range of communication interfaces, as well as rich analog and system functionalities.
One of the key features of the RA4L1 is the segmented LCD controller, which is often required in low-power applications such as smart meters and smart thermostats. It is designed to operate in the RA4L1’s lowest power mode while being able to drive up to 384 segments of LCD.
Below is a simplified block diagram of the segmented LCD controller and a table showing the number of segments available in each package.
Simplified Implementation of Segmented LCD Controller
Maximum Number of LCD Signals on RA4L1 Package Types
With the increasing importance of new cybersecurity regulations and overall security, every application will need to consider security more carefully in the future to protect data and secure communications, and the robust security IP (RSIP) is designed to help you achieve this. The RA4L1 implements a wide range of advanced security features, including:
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RSIP-E11A Security Engine
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Key Wrapping
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Secure Key Injection and Update
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Device Lifecycle Management (DLM) Status
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Authentication and Protection Levels
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Secure Factory Programming
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Arm TrustZone
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Tamper Detection
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Lockable Flash Memory
The core of the RA4L1’s security features is the RSIP security engine, which is an isolated subsystem within the MCU. The security engine is protected by access management circuitry that disables the encryption engine in the event of illegal external access attempts, preventing attacks such as differential fault analysis. The encryption engine includes hardware accelerators for symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms, as well as various hash and message authentication codes. Inside the security engine is a component of the MCU hardware root key used to store and inject other keys, which we will see later. It also contains a true random number generator with an entropy source compliant with SP800-90B standards and NIST-certified DRBG algorithms.
RSIP-E11A Security Engine Diagram
The security engine contains internal RAM for operations involving sensitive materials such as plaintext keys. This RAM is inaccessible outside the security engine. The RSIP security engine can be combined with higher-level security structures in the RenesasFlexible Software Package (FSP). The FSP is an enhanced software package designed to provide user-friendly, scalable, high-quality software for embedded system designs using any RA Arm microcontroller, ensuring software compatibility across the entire series. The embedded drivers and security primitives implemented in the FSP provide a complete solution for embedded data protection and identity verification.
RA Flexible Software Package (FSP) | Renesas Electronics
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/software-tool/ra-flexible-software-package-fsp
These features make the RA4L1 highly suitable for a wide range of applications requiring low-power operation, multiple communication functions, LCD display driving, and especially security features, including:
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Audio Systems
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Access Control Systems
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Consumer Products
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Industrial and Utility Metering Applications
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Security Systems
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Smart Locks
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Industrial Sensors
For More Information
For more information, including documentation and videos, please visit theRA4L1 Product Page. To learn more about how to protect products from concept to production, including certification and software listings, please visit theIoT Security Page.
RA4L1 – Low-Power MCU Based on 80MHz Arm Cortex-M33 with TrustZone, Segmented LCD Controller, and Advanced Security Features | Renesas Electronics
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/products/ra4l1
Renesas Electronics IoT Security Solutions | Secure Connectivity Devices | Renesas Electronics
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/key-technologies/security/iot-security
Need Technical Support?
If you have any questions while using Renesas MCU/MPU products, you can identify the QR code below or copy the URL into your browser to access theRenesas Technical Forum for answers or to get online technical support.
https://community-ja.renesas.com/zh/forums-groups/mcu-mpu/
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Recommended Reading
Playing with Renesas MCU in VS Code (1) – RA MCU
Analysis of RA4L1 Metering Applications (Part 1)
Renesas RA4L1 New Product and Metering Application Seminar – RA4L1 Product Introduction and Selected Questions (Part 1)
